Shoulder pad



Jan. 16, 1951 KANTOR 2,538,646

SHOULDER PAD 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 21, 1947 INVENTOR. /$RAE'L KANTOR A TTORNEY l. KANTOR SHOULDER PAD Jan. 16, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 21, 1947 IN VEN TOR.

ISRAEL KANTOR A) 7' TOENEY Patented Jan. 16, 1951 ,UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE '7 Claims.

I This invention relates to shoulder pads. It is an object of the invention to provide a shoulder pad having an arched contour which is obtained in a simple manner and at a low cost.

It is another object of. the invention to provide an arched shoulder pad which for the most part is of standard construction and varies therefrom in only one simple respect to obtain the desired arched shape.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an arched shoulder pad in which the arched contour is imparted by a detachable element so that this element can be temporarily removed when the garment is cleaned.

It is an additional object of the invention to is inexpensive to manufacture, easy to use and highly efficient in operation.

Other objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts which will be exem plified in the constructions hereinafter described Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of a shoulder pad embodying another modified form of the invention;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the shoulder pad shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a plan view of the archin element employed in the shoulder pad of Fig. 9; and.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary sectional View illustrating the manner in which an end of the arching element is secured in-the shoulder pad of Fig. 9.

and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claims. 1 r

In. the accompanying drawings, in which are shown various possible embodiments of the invention,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a female figure wearing'a dress in which is incorporated a shoulder pad embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along'the line 2-2 of Fig. l and showing the pad as it appears when observed edge foremost;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional'view through the pad, the same being taken substantially along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; c

Fig. 4 is a developed View of the pad;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the pad with the arching element removed, the same being taken substantially along the line 55 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the archin element; Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of a shoulder pad embodying a modified form of the invention; Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view taken through the shoulder pad shown in Fig. '7;

In general, the several objects of the invention are achieved by providing a conventional shoulder pad comprising by way of example one or 'more layers of a light bulky material such as cotton batting or felt fibers which is covered with a fabric or similar substance known to the art as a casing. To this conventional pad there is added a self-form-maintaining, preferably resilient, member which is slender, elongated and simply curved, i. e. has no points of inflection. Means also is included, either on said member or the shoulder pad, to hold the member to the pad along a zone which runs parallel to the shoulder edge of the pad and, optionally, is located near said edge. The simply curved member thus will impart the desired arched shape to said edge of This mass is shaped to the desired outline, (usu- I ally semi-circular or triangular) and the mass is disposed within a protective covering, for instance between facings or inside a casing l4 made of cloth. By way of example, said casing is shown herein asconsisting of a single fabric sheet which is folded over the wide or shoulder edge of the mass l2 and whose cut edges are registered just outside of ,the rearwardly converging edges of the mass.

One surface of the casing is formed with an elongated transversely extending pocket 5 arranged to detachably receive therein an elongated, simply curved, resilient member l8 of self form-maintaining material. This member may; be made from any one of the well known synthet plastics or, alternatively, may comprise a sheet Said edges are held together by lines E5 of stitching.

metal strip or wire, e. g. of stainless steel or phosphor bronze, of suitable thickness, for example [6 gauge. Said member is slender and arched to the shape which is desired to have the shoulder pad assume.

The pocket It can be formed by securing the longitudinal edges of a transversely extending tape to a surface of the casing adjacent the shoulder edge thereof, or, as illustrated, said pocket maybe provided by doubling back a transversely extending portion of the fabric at one surface of the casing, this doubled back portion being held in place by two spaced rows of stitching 20, 22. One of these rows, if desired, may extend through the shoulder pad, 1. e. through the mass I2, andthe other surface of the casing; The ends of the pocket are defined by the inner rows of stitching Ill.

The member I8 may be permanently held in place, in which case it is disposed within the pocket .before the rows of stitching 22 are applied. Alternatively, andas shown, the mem ber may be detachably held in place, and for this ,purpose the pocket i6 is left open adjacent one or -.both ends thereof, asby terminating one or .both ends of the row of stitching short of the ends of said pocket to provide a gap i8. This enables .the arching member to be inserted in the pocket from either side of thecasing and to be withdrawn when necessary, as for instance when the pad or dress is to be cleaned.

In Figs. Hand 8 there is illustrated shoulder pad ,3!) embodying a modified form of the invention. This pad is essentially similar to the pad l1! and differs therefrom only in the formation of the pocket for receiving the arching member 13. Thepocket in whichsaid member is held is, like the pocket 16, formed by doubling bacl: a transversely extending portion of the fabric on one side of the shoulder pad casing. However, only one transverse row of stitching 34 extends across the shoulder pad to hold the base of this doubled backportion in place. The other transverse row of stitching at the tip of the doubled back portion, which in the pad iii comprises the row'2ll,,is omitted and in lieu thereof shorttrans verselines of stitchingflfi, 3.3 are employed, these lines being disposed adjacent the inner rows 55 of stitching atthe convergingedges of the pad and being spaced from and parallel to the row of stitching 3.4.

When it is desired toinsert the arching memberin the pocket 32, one end .of the member is introduced into the space between the row of stitching 34 and a short line of stitches-e. g. the line '36. Then the other ,end of the member is introduced. between the row of stitching and the other short lineof stitching 3,3. The distance between the two short lines of stitching 35, 3B is less than the length of the arching member in so that when said member once is inplace it can not beremoved except intentionally. In order to simplify insertion of the arching member elemerits, the distance from the inner row E of stitching at either end of the pocket to theremoter of the short .linesof stitching is greater than the length of, said arching member.

Another means for detachably securing an arching member to a shoulder pad is illustrated in the pad 453 shown in Figs. 9-12. In this embodiment of the invention said pad is entirely conventional and is not even provided with a pocket to ,receive and hold anarching member. Saidpadhas associated withit anarching member 12 oft'he same general configuration and coI 4 struction as the members [8 already described. However, the arching member 42 additionally includes a means carried by said member for detachably securing the same to the pad. Said means, as illustrated herein, includes wires 44, 46 fixed to both ends of the member and extending therefrom. Said Wire is of self -form-rnaintaining but manually deformable metal, as for instance soft steel. Optionally the tips of the wire may be pointed.

To secure the arching member 42 to the shoulder pad ll), the two wires 44, A8 are thrust through the pad and their tips curled back into the pad as best seen in Figs. 10 and 12. The spots on the pad at which the wires are inserted may be marked on the pad or can be determined in .a few moments by trial and error.

Said spots are spaced apart a distance approximately equal to thefllength of the arching member exclusive of the wires ib. At the time the wires are thrust into the pad, the arching member is held with its concave side facing the pad. Subsequently said member is swung 186 into its operating position before the wires are curled back.

It thus will be seen that there are provided shoulder pads which achieve the several objects of the invention and are well adapted to meet the-conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention and as various changes might be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein describedor shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described the invention, there is described as new and desired to be secured as Letters Patent:

1. A shoulder pad including a layer of light,

deformable material, a casing offabric covis said layer, a self-.form-maintaining, elongz slender, si noly curved, resilient arching member, a pocket on said casing which extends transversely across the same near the shoulder edge, member being disposed in said pocket, said pocket having an opening therein through which thearching member isinsertable and removable.

2, A shoulder pad including a layer of light, bulky deformable material, a casing of fabric covering said layer, a. self-form-niaintaining, elongated, slender, simply curved, resilient arching member, and a pocket on said casing which extends transversely across the same near the shoulder edge, said member being disposed in said pocket, said pocket having an opening adjacent an end thereof through which the arching member is receivable and removable.

,3. A shoulder pad including a layerof light, bulky deformable material, acasing of fabriccovering said layer, a self-formnaintaining, elongated, slender, simply curved, resilient arching member, and a pocket on saidcasingwhich extends transversely across the same near the shoulder edge, said member being disposed in said pocket, said pocket having an opening in a longitudinal side edge adjacent anend thereof through which opening the arching member is receivable and removable.

4. A shoulder pad including a layer of light, bulky deformable material, a casing of fabric covering said layer, a self-forrn-maintaining, elongated, slender, sirnply curved, resilient arching member, and a pocket on "said casingwhichextends transversely across the same near the shoulder edge, said member being disposed in said pocket, said pocket having a long central opening along one side thereof through which said arching member is receivable and removable, said opening being shorter than the length of the arching member.,

5. A shoulder pad including a layer of light, bulky deformable material, a casing of fabric covering said layer, a self-form-maintaining, elongated, slender, simply curved, resilient arching member, and a pocket on said casing which extends transversely across the same near the shoulder edge, said member being disposed in said pocket, said pocket having a long central opening along one side thereof through which said arching member is receivable and removable, said opening being shorter than the length of the arching member, the distance from one end of the pocket to the opposite side of the opening being greater than the length of the arching member.

6. A shoulder pad including a layer of light, bulky deformable material, a protective covering for said layer, a self-form-maintaining, elongated, slender, simply curved arching member, and means associated with said member and adapted to cooperate with said covering to deing from the ends of said member.

ISRAEL KANTOR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 641,526 Lowenthal Jan. 16, 1900 2,405,030 Glickman July 30, 1946 2,421,736 Wein June 3, 1947 2,421,895 Leebow June 10, 1947 2,422,161 Zacks June 10, 1947 1423,16? Barritz July 1, 1947 

